editorNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Carrie Kahn is NPR's international correspondent based in Mexico City, Mexico. She covers Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America. Kahn's reports can be heard on NPR's award-winning news programs including All Things Considered , Morning Edition and Weekend Edition . Prior to her post in Mexico Kahn had been a National Correspondent based in Los Angeles since joining NPR in 2003. During that time Kahn often reported on and from Mexico, most recently covering the country's presidential election in 2012. She was the first NPR reporter into Haiti after the devastating earthquake in early 2010, and has returned to the country six times in the two years since to detail recovery and relief efforts, and the political climate. Her work included assignments throughout California and the West. In 2010 Kahn was awarded the Headliner Award for Best in Show and Best Investigative Story for her work covering U.S. informants involved in the Mexican Drug War. In 2005, Kahn was part of NPR'sNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Carrie KahnThu, 21 Sep 2017 13:03:07 +0000Carrie Kahnhttp://wfae.org
Carrie KahnCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.Parents Wait To Hear About Their Child's Fate After School Collapse In Mexicohttp://wfae.org/post/parents-wait-hear-about-their-childs-fate-after-school-collapse-mexico
123827 as http://wfae.orgThu, 21 Sep 2017 10:39:00 +0000Parents Wait To Hear About Their Child's Fate After School Collapse In MexicoCarrie KahnCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit AILSA CHANG, HOST: Rescuers continue to dig at the rubble of a school in Mexico City a day after a powerful earthquake toppled buildings throughout central Mexico, killing at least 225 people. Dozens of children are believed to still be buried under the collapsed concrete. One survivor was pulled out this morning, and efforts are underway now to free a trapped girl. Joining us now to talk about these rescue efforts is NPR's Carrie Kahn. She is near the site of the school right now. Hi, Carrie. CARRIE KAHN, BYLINE: Hi, Ailsa. CHANG: What does the scene look like right now? Can you describe it? KAHN: I have actually moved a little farther away from where the school rescue effort is taking place. It's a very solemn area. It's very quiet. When the rescuers ask for everybody to be quiet, the place just falls silent. People put their fist up in the air, which is a signal for everybody to be quiet so that they could try and hear some, any, noise underSearch Continues For School Children After Mexico City Earthquakehttp://wfae.org/post/search-continues-school-children-after-mexico-city-earthquake
123799 as http://wfae.orgWed, 20 Sep 2017 22:14:00 +0000Search Continues For School Children After Mexico City EarthquakeCarrie KahnIn south Texas, this was going to be one of the best years farmers had seen in a while. The cotton crop was projected to bring in record prices and even clear out many families' debts. But the massive rainfall, winds and a slow drying-out process from Harvey have left many farmers overwhelmed and worried. That includes people like Dave Murrell, whom I meet at AL-T's Seafood and Steakhouse, a Cajun restaurant in Winnie, Texas, a rural town about an hour east of Houston. The place is packed, even though lunchtime has long come and gone. No one is in a hurry to get back to their fields — they can't. They're flooded. Murrell says nearly 400 acres of his rice are totally submerged. "There is not much we can do," says Murrell. "We are still waiting for the water to go down so [that] by road we can get into these fields. Our roads cross a gulley out at the farm and the water is still too deep for us to get through it." Luckily, Murrell had just harvested some of his rice before Harvey dumpedTexas Farmers Suffer Extensive Crop Losses In Wake Of Harveyhttp://wfae.org/post/texas-farmers-suffer-extensive-crop-losses-wake-harvey
122944 as http://wfae.orgWed, 06 Sep 2017 21:37:00 +0000Texas Farmers Suffer Extensive Crop Losses In Wake Of HarveyCarrie KahnCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: All right. The long holiday-weekend is over and it is back to work. In Houston, that is easier said than done. Thousands of people remain in area shelters, thousands more in FEMA-paid hotel rooms. As NPR's Carrie Kahn reports, getting to work may be the least of some people's problems. CARRIE KAHN, BYLINE: Eighteen-year-old Adolfo Angel was all ready to start his new job until Harvey hit Houston. His employer told him to come back today. The only problem is one of the family's cars is still drying out. Everything works? ADOLFO ANGEL: Yeah. Everything works. KAHN: Luckily, he says, the engine is fine. A. ANGEL: Yeah, we pulled out the back seats. There's nothing in the trunk. I mean - if you touch right there, I mean, you can still feel how wet it is. KAHN: The water came in over the seats, but Angel says it's still drivable. That's good news since Houston, the fourth largest city in the country, is not known for its publicEmployees In Flooded Houston Could Find It Difficult To Show Up For Workhttp://wfae.org/post/employees-flooded-houston-could-find-it-difficult-show-work
122814 as http://wfae.orgTue, 05 Sep 2017 09:04:00 +0000Employees In Flooded Houston Could Find It Difficult To Show Up For WorkCarrie KahnCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST: August was another violent month in Mexico. That says - this year, the death toll has reached the highest level in more than two decades. And the violence is widespread, hitting cities once untouched by Mexico's drug war. One of those places is the tourist hot spot Los Cabos. Five years ago, there was barely a murder a month there. Now there's one nearly every day. As NPR's Carrie Kahn reports, the U.S. State Department has added Los Cabos to its most recent travel advisory. CARRIE KAHN, BYLINE: The last weekend of August was a violent one in the southern tip of Mexico's Baja peninsula. Sixteen people were murdered, according to local press accounts, in just three days. JUAN MARTINEZ LARA: (Speaking Spanish). KAHN: "Every day, I go to one or two funerals," says Father Juan Martinez Lara. "The local cemeteries are full," he adds. (SOUNDBITE OF CHURCH BELL RINGING) KAHN: The murders don't stop on Sunday. As the bell for massViolence In Mexico Expands To Tourist Destinationhttp://wfae.org/post/violence-mexico-expands-tourist-destination
122781 as http://wfae.orgMon, 04 Sep 2017 11:33:00 +0000Violence In Mexico Expands To Tourist DestinationCarrie KahnCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit KELLY MCEVERS, HOST: Los Cabos, Mexico, took a beating today from Tropical Storm Lydia. The powerful storm made landfall early this morning and killed at least four people, including a baby. It's been a rough year for the popular resort town. It's already been struggling with a dramatic rise in murders, a more-than-200-percent increase over the last year. The violence prompted U.S. officials to issue an unprecedented travel warning for the destination. But as NPR's Carrie Kahn reports, despite the warning and the violence, the tourists keep coming. CARRIE KAHN, BYLINE: A waiter eggs on the mostly American crowd over a scratchy sound system at the Mango Deck bar on one of Cabo's most popular beaches. UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: If you don't know how to count to three in Spanish, here's a free Spanish lesson. KAHN: The contestants are getting ready for a beer chugging contest. UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: Let me here you count. (Speaking Spanish). KAHN: DiegoTourists Still Head To Los Cabos Despite Safety And Security Warningshttp://wfae.org/post/tourists-still-head-los-cabos-despite-safety-and-security-warnings
122674 as http://wfae.orgFri, 01 Sep 2017 20:32:00 +0000Tourists Still Head To Los Cabos Despite Safety And Security WarningsCarrie KahnCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit AILSA CHANG, HOST: Guatemala's president, Jimmy Morales, is a former comedian, but no one is laughing about the way he's treating a U.N. anti-corruption commission. That panel is investigating bribery charges involving members of Morales's family. And as NPR's Carrie Kahn reports, the crisis is damaging the president's reputation as a clean government crusader. CARRIE KAHN, BYLINE: The political storm circling Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales exploded during a raucous press conference in the country's capital yesterday. As reporters shouted questions about the president's rumored plans to seek the removal of the head of the U.N.'s anti-corruption commission, spokesman Heinz Heimann would only say strengthening the judicial system was the government's goal. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) HEINZ HEIMANN: (Speaking Spanish). KAHN: "We can no longer depend on just one person to make sure our judicial system is working or not," said Heimann asPolitical Storm Circling Guatemalan President Moraleshttp://wfae.org/post/political-storm-circling-guatemalan-president-morales
122102 as http://wfae.orgThu, 24 Aug 2017 09:24:00 +0000Political Storm Circling Guatemalan President MoralesCarrie KahnCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: People in Mexico City only got to see a partial solar eclipse today. But the huge metropolis is bracing for a different phenomenon. Godzilla has descended on the city, threatening to destroy it over the next two days or at least cause some major traffic problems. NPR's Carrie Kahn reports that fans and local officials are thrilled that the giant monster has landed in Mexico City, boosting the city's reputation as a growing international film destination. (SOUNDBITE OF BELLS RINGING) CARRIE KAHN, BYLINE: As the bells ring out from the majestic cathedral in Mexico City's downtown Zocalo plaza, a huge plume of smoke rises in the sky down the street. Crews there are filming a critical scene in the sequel to the sci-fi thriller, "Godzilla 2: King Of The Monsters." GERMAN CASTILLO: (Speaking Spanish). KAHN: "We better run and hide, or we'll all get eaten," says German Castillo, who couldn't see the filming over a huge makeshift wall'Godzilla' Descends On Mexico City As Filmmakers Shoot Scenes In The Metropolishttp://wfae.org/post/godzilla-descends-mexico-city-filmmakers-shoot-scenes-metropolis
121928 as http://wfae.orgMon, 21 Aug 2017 20:42:00 +0000'Godzilla' Descends On Mexico City As Filmmakers Shoot Scenes In The MetropolisCarrie KahnCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: Negotiators from the U.S., Mexico and Canada will attempt tomorrow to overhaul the world's largest trade pact, the North American Free Trade Agreement, NAFTA. It was ratified more than 20 years ago before the tech boom. All sides agreed that it's time for an update. President Trump is one of the trade pact's biggest critics. He says he'll see what the negotiators come up with, but if he doesn't like it, he'll pull the U.S. out of NAFTA. Mexican negotiators are hoping cooler heads prevail and that they can preserve the deal they consider a boon for their country. From Mexico City, NPR's Carrie Kahn reports. CARRIE KAHN, BYLINE: In the outdoor food court of a shopping mall in Mexico City's upscale Polanco neighborhood, Astrid Lara sits with her two dogs, Canela and Merlin. (SOUNDBITE OF DOG BARKING) KAHN: She's enjoying a cup of Starbucks coffee, a Krispy Kreme donut and waiting for the mall's anchor store to open. ASTRID LARA: Mexico Outlines Goals For Upcoming NAFTA Trade Deal Negotiationshttp://wfae.org/post/mexico-outlines-goals-upcoming-nafta-trade-deal-negotiations
121552 as http://wfae.orgTue, 15 Aug 2017 20:40:00 +0000Mexico Outlines Goals For Upcoming NAFTA Trade Deal NegotiationsCarrie Kahnhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sg-A-eS6Ig In Latin America — and in the U.S., for that matter — it's been hard for a song this summer to break past Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee's super-hit "Despacito." But "Súbeme La Radio" — a track about how a good song takes your mind off heartache — might just give "Despacito" a run for its money. "Súbeme La Radio" is sung by Enrique Iglesias and was written by Cuban composer-turned-jazz bassist Descemer Bueno and Puerto Rican reggaeton duo Zion and Lennox. Its lyrics depict a familiar scene: turning up the radio while nursing a broken heart. And it's climbing the charts. This isn't Bueno and Iglesias' first collaboration: They worked together on 2014's homage to dancing, "Bailando," with Bueno's fellow Cuban musicians Gente de Zona. The song won several Latin Grammys that year. The lyrics to "Súbeme La Radio" may be filled with heartbreak, but the song is upbeat, Bueno says from a soundcheck in Havana. He was rehearsing the hit song for a solo'Súbeme La Radio' Is Cuba's Heartbreak Anthem Of The Summer http://wfae.org/post/s-beme-la-radio-cubas-heartbreak-anthem-summer
120729 as http://wfae.orgThu, 03 Aug 2017 00:07:00 +0000'Súbeme La Radio' Is Cuba's Heartbreak Anthem Of The Summer Carrie KahnCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: We're going to meet one of Mexico's most popular standuperos (ph), stand-up comedians. Sofia Nino de Rivera is among those in the country giving comedy a new voice. Comedians in Mexico have long been controlled by the leading television networks, confining the genre to slapstick characters spouting sexually laced double entendres. Well, Nino de Rivera is fresh off a successful Netflix show and a national tour, and NPR's Carrie Kahn brings us her story. (SOUNDBITE OF COMEDY SPECIAL, "SOFIA NINO DE RIVERA: EXPOSED") UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: (Singing) Sofia, Sofia... CARRIE KAHN, BYLINE: It's the opening act of Sofia Nino de Rivera's Netflix comedy special. The slender, tall comedian takes center stage on Guadalajara's majestic Degollado Theater surrounded by two male ballet dancers. (SOUNDBITE OF COMEDY SPECIAL, "SOFIA NINO DE RIVERA: EXPOSED") SOFIA NINO DE RIVERA: (Speaking Spanish). KAHN: "They told me my show had to be of aIn Mexico, Comedian Breaks New Ground And Gender Barrierhttp://wfae.org/post/mexico-comedian-breaks-new-ground-and-gender-barrier
120092 as http://wfae.orgMon, 24 Jul 2017 21:43:00 +0000In Mexico, Comedian Breaks New Ground And Gender BarrierCarrie KahnCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit SCOTT SIMON, HOST: More than a hundred Haitian immigrants were found this week at sea on a rickety boat that was overcrowded and looked dangerous. The U.S. Coast Guard returned the Haitians to their country. Officials called the largest group of migrants intercepted at sea in more than a year. It happens at a time when the Trump administration has warned Haitian immigrants on temporary humanitarian visas in the United States that they must prepare to go back home. We're joined now by NPR's Carrie Kahn, who covers Haiti. Carrie, thanks so much for being with us. CARRIE KAHN, BYLINE: You're welcome. Good morning. SIMON: Tell us more about what this boat looked like and the human beings who were on it. KAHN: It was a very tattered, rickety boat, as you said. It definitely didn't look sea worthy. The picture that was released by the Coast Guard showed the vessel just packed to the brim and riding very low in the water. It looked very much like the102 Haitian Migrants Found At Seahttp://wfae.org/post/102-haitian-migrants-found-sea
119538 as http://wfae.orgSat, 15 Jul 2017 12:52:00 +0000102 Haitian Migrants Found At SeaCarrie KahnCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: There's a growing scandal in Mexico over allegations of government spying. In the latest twist, the government's accused of eavesdropping on international investigators who were brought in to look into one of the country's biggest human rights abuse cases. We're joined now by NPR's Carrie Kahn in Mexico City. Hi, Carrie. CARRIE KAHN, BYLINE: Hi, Ari. SHAPIRO: We've heard before that the government has spied on journalists, politicians, activists. What makes this new allegation different? KAHN: These are a prestigious group of investigators and prosecutors that were brought in at the request of the Mexican government. They were brought in to do this independent investigation of the case of the 43 students who went missing more than three years ago. That case and the inability of the government to determine what happened to the students drew huge protests throughout Mexico, and it's still not solved. So these internationalInternational Investigators Targeted By Spyware Sold To Mexican Governmenthttp://wfae.org/post/international-investigators-targeted-spyware-sold-mexican-government
119202 as http://wfae.orgMon, 10 Jul 2017 20:36:00 +0000International Investigators Targeted By Spyware Sold To Mexican GovernmentCarrie KahnCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST: To violence in Mexico. At least 14 people died yesterday in a shootout in northern Mexico. Among the dead are several state police officers. The shootout involved two rival drug trafficking cartels. They're fighting for control of the mountains in the state of Chihuahua. And the violence unfolded on the same day that U.S. Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly was in Mexico City to meet with President Enrique Pena Nieto. They were talking about cooperating to fight organized crime. As NPR's Carrie Kahn reports, yesterday's shootout was the latest in what's on pace to become a record year of violence in Mexico. CARRIE KAHN, BYLINE: The gun battle began in a small farming town high in the mountains of Chihuahua, according to Carlos Huerta, a spokesman for the state's attorney general's office. CARLOS HUERTA: (Speaking Spanish). KAHN: "It was a battle between two organized crime groups," says Huerta, an offshoot of the JuarezViolence On Pace To Reach Record Highs In Mexicohttp://wfae.org/post/violence-pace-reach-record-highs-mexico
118960 as http://wfae.orgThu, 06 Jul 2017 09:01:00 +0000Violence On Pace To Reach Record Highs In MexicoCarrie KahnCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST: To Cuba now, where a weed runs rampant across the country, spoiling millions of acres of what could be productive agricultural land. Some people, though, have found a way to turn the weed into wealth. And those people include an American lawyer, who thinks the invasive plant can sprout some goodwill in Cuba-U.S. relations. NPR's Carrie Kahn brings us the story from Cuba. CARRIE KAHN, BYLINE: The weed is called marabou and grows as tall as a tree, with trunks as thick and heavy as the hardest of woods. ALEXI RAMIREZ: (Speaking Spanish). KAHN: Alexi Ramirez harvests the marabou trunks behind his one-room house next to the railroad tracks outside the city of San Antonio de los Banos, about an hour south of Havana. He says it's one tough plant to cut down. RAMIREZ: (Speaking Spanish). KAHN: "I use gloves and a machete and a big axe," says Ramirez as he shows me several scars on his legs from too many missed whacks. AfterCan Cuban Charcoal Turn Up The Heat On U.S.-Cuba Relations?http://wfae.org/post/can-cuban-charcoal-turn-heat-us-cuba-relations
118880 as http://wfae.orgWed, 05 Jul 2017 09:05:00 +0000Can Cuban Charcoal Turn Up The Heat On U.S.-Cuba Relations?Carrie KahnCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: As many as 65 people were killed in several states throughout Mexico this weekend. The worst violence was in the state of Sinaloa. Sinaloa has seen homicides skyrocket since the recapture and extradition to the U.S. earlier this year of the powerful drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman. NPR's Carrie Kahn joins us from Mexico City to talk about this spike in murders. Hi, Carrie. CARRIE KAHN, BYLINE: Hi, Robert. SIEGEL: And it was a very bloody weekend. What's going on? KAHN: Well, it wasn't just this weekend. It's been a very bloody year. And sadly, it's more of the same. What sort of spiked the numbers this weekend was one gun battle between suspected crime gang members and local police outside Mazatlan, Sinaloa, that left 17 civilians dead and five local police officers injured. We don't have the official numbers for June yet, but I can tell you that the May murder rate was the highest number of homicides seen in Mexico sinceFighting Among Drug Traffickers Leads To Surge Of Murders In Mexicohttp://wfae.org/post/fighting-among-drug-traffickers-leads-surge-murders-mexico
118810 as http://wfae.orgMon, 03 Jul 2017 20:32:00 +0000Fighting Among Drug Traffickers Leads To Surge Of Murders In MexicoCarrie KahnIn recent years, a growing number of news and political websites have popped up in Cuba. Some are taking advantage of what they say has been a small but vibrant opening afforded them since former President Obama reestablished U.S. relations with Cuba. But others worry that President Trump's harder line toward the Communist Castro government could have a chilling effect on the independent media movement afoot. Harold Cardenas Lema runs his blog La Joven Cuba , The Young Cuba, out of the two-room apartment he shares with his mom and girlfriend in a dilapidated building just blocks from Havana's oceanfront esplanade, the Malecon. "It's really just one-and-a-half, actually. This is a very small, a very small apartment," he says, laughing. All editorial board meetings take place in his bedroom, with everyone sitting on his bed. Despite its mundane office, discussions on Cardenas' seven-year-old blog are anything but boring. And they are popular. He says the blog gets about 2,000 uniqueIn Cuba, Growing Numbers Of Bloggers Manage To Operate In A Vulnerable Gray Areahttp://wfae.org/post/cuba-growing-numbers-bloggers-manage-operate-vulnerable-gray-area
118753 as http://wfae.orgSun, 02 Jul 2017 12:26:00 +0000In Cuba, Growing Numbers Of Bloggers Manage To Operate In A Vulnerable Gray AreaCarrie KahnCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: In recent years, a growing number of news and political sites have popped up in Cuba. Some are taking advantage of what they say is a small but vibrant opening, one offered them since President Obama re-established relations with Cuba. NPR's Carrie Kahn reports that others worry President Trump's harder line toward the communist Castro government could have a chilling effect. CARRIE KAHN, BYLINE: Harold Cardenas Lema runs the blog The Young Cuba out of his two-room apartment he shares with his mom and his girlfriend. HAROLD CARDENAS LEMA: One and a half, actually (laughter). This is a very small - a very small apartment. KAHN: Discussion on Cardenas' blog are quite lively and popular. He says he gets about 2,000 unique visitors a day, nearly three-quarters coming from inside Cuba. That's quite a following given how expensive and difficult it is to access the Internet here. In a recent blog titled "Papa Estado" - "Father State"Cuban Bloggers Worry U.S. Tensions Could Create Chilling Effecthttp://wfae.org/post/cuban-bloggers-worry-us-tensions-could-create-chilling-effect
118444 as http://wfae.orgTue, 27 Jun 2017 20:41:00 +0000Cuban Bloggers Worry U.S. Tensions Could Create Chilling EffectCarrie KahnCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: We turn now to Mexico, a country that has experienced a particularly violent period. The Mexican government released official figures last week reporting that more than 2,000 people were killed in May, making it the deadliest month in Mexico since the government began tracking murders there in 1997. To find out what's behind this, we called NPR's Mexico correspondent, Carrie Kahn. She's in Mexico City. Carrie, thanks so much for joining us. CARRIE KAHN, BYLINE: Of course. Thanks for having me. MARTIN: So first of all, you know, Mexico has experienced violence for some time. But with the arrests and the murders of many of the key figures in the drug cartels, I think a lot of people - at least in the U.S. - were under the impression that the level of violence had abated somewhat. So, first of all, how does this current spate of violence compare to what we saw at the height of the drug wars? And why is this happening now? KAHN:Behind Mexico's Most Violent Monthhttp://wfae.org/post/behind-mexicos-most-violent-month
118310 as http://wfae.orgSun, 25 Jun 2017 22:51:00 +0000Behind Mexico's Most Violent MonthCarrie KahnCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: Now that President Trump has announced stricter rules for U.S. businesses doing work in Cuba, residents there are trying to figure out the implications. Many Cubans say they felt a new level of economic independence after President Obama re-established diplomatic ties with Cuba two years ago. Now they fear that economic freedom could be in jeopardy. Here's NPR's Carrie Kahn. CARRIE KAHN, BYLINE: President Trump says he's aiming his Cuba trade restrictions at the communist regime's military, which in recent years has grown into the largest stakeholder in the island's growing retail and tourist industry. Nowhere is that more visible than the brand-new five-story, five-star Gran Manzana luxury hotel in downtown Havana - a joint operation between the military's tourism company and Kempinski, the Swiss hotel operator. The bottom floor's open-air mall carries luxury offerings from $10,000 Bulgari watches to $100-an-ounce perfumes.Cuba's Small Businesses Brace For New U.S. Trade, Travel Restrictionshttp://wfae.org/post/cubas-small-businesses-brace-new-us-trade-travel-restrictions
117884 as http://wfae.orgMon, 19 Jun 2017 09:00:00 +0000Cuba's Small Businesses Brace For New U.S. Trade, Travel Restrictions